Petrolettes are on a mission. As Europe’s first women’s motorbike festival, they’re opening up a male-dominated industry and firing up female spirits by creating a supportive and open community where women can discover and develop their passion for motorcycles.

This International Female Ride Day, Petrolettes and their cohorts — The Curves, Equality Rides Along — gathered together to celebrate each other and be part of a growing movement. Jumping on the bikes, we left Berlin’s genteel Gedarmenmarkt and tore through the streets of Berlin by way of Kreuzberg and Mitte to conclude with beers and bagels in Prenzlauerberg. A question hangs in the air — when's the next ride out?